Former German player accuses Jannik Sinner of 'damaging' tennis after involvement in doping scandal

Former German player Alexander Waske has lambasted Italy’s Jannik Sinner for his role in a doping scandal. The 23-year-old, who is widely regarded as the best player currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, has been in the news for the wrong reasons after he tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in two doping tests in March last year.

Sinner, miraculously managed to escape any ban as The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) declared him innocent following a detailed hearing where his counsel claimed that the substance was available in the player’s sample because one member of the coaching staff had received a cream for the treatment of an injury.

WADA appealed against the ITIA’s verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and demanded a two-year ban for the three-time Grand Slam winner. However, the issue finally came to a conclusion on Saturday last week as WADA announced that they had reached an agreement with Sinner, which will result in the player remaining out of action for three months.

Former German player Waske has been recently quoted in a report where he lambasted Sinner for his role in the doping scandal. The 49-year-old was of the opinion that reigning world number one in men’s tennis is of the top-level but he is damaging the sport by ‘seeking the best for himself’.

"Sinner is a fantastic boy, he is a champion who always says the right thing, with a great physique and of course it seems impossible that he is involved in a doping process. Despite everything, he causes enormous damage to tennis by seeking the best for himself. He may not have done anything wrong, but the other players are right when he asks that from now on he can have a clear and fair regulation for everyone."